Electrical boxes are used for a variety of applications wherein it is necessary to provide a termination point for electrical wires for splicing or connection to an electrical component. An electrical box is rigidly mounted on or in a wall in such locations to conveniently locate an electrical component. Depending on the application and location, electrical boxes can be mounted either in a horizontal or vertical orientation. Once mounted, the wires are installed and connected to the electrical component therein.
Due to varied needs for electrical power and switching, it is sometimes necessary to mount a box in a location where it will be exposed to wet conditions. Typically, such installations can include an outdoor receptacle to provide electricity for lighting, power tools, or appliances. When used in a location where the connector box will be exposed to water, it is necessary to provide for structure to ensure that water does not enter the box and thereby damage the components. An effective way to prevent water from entering an electrical box is to provide a cover which provides weatherproof protection.
It is also desirable to have an electrical connector box cover that can provide a weatherproof seal, with an exchangeable faceplate wherein the cover can be adapted to be used with a connector box that is mounted in either a horizontal or vertical orientation. It would be useful for the cover to be adapted to be hingedly opened when the faceplate is oriented in either the horizontal or vertical direction without the need to modify the cover or the faceplate and provide a locking mechanism whereby the cover can be secured regardless of which position the box is mounted. One such electrical box cover having a hood and a base is shown and described in commonly assigned U.S. Pat. No. 7,235,740 issued on Jun. 26, 2007, entitled Hinged Weatherproof Electrical Box Cover, which is incorporated by reference herein for all purposes.
While this cover serves adequately for its intended purpose, it employs an integrated hinge pin. In order to allow the hinge to snap into place, the hood has to be manipulated at odd angles. The hinge area may be weak and the hood could become loose after being used over time.
Also during manufacturing previous while-in use electrical box covers requires removable cams in the mold to make the pin opening. This has larger up-front costs and requires more time during production run.
Accordingly, it is desirable to provide a while-in-use electrical box that has a simpler mold that provides a faster turn-around time during production, is easily assembled. It is also desirable to provide a sturdier hinge area that permanently locks into place and will not loosen over time.